
301 episodes

The Waves: Gender, Relationships, Feminism Slate Podcasts
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- Society & Culture
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4.2 • 835 Ratings
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Each week a pair of writers and guests talk through one news story we can’t stop thinking about, and unpack what gender has to do with it.
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Are “Cool Moms” A Menace?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by NPR political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben to unpack all the fears that come with pending motherhood. They unpack Danielle’s brilliant Substack piece, “A Professional Lady Correspondent Stares Down Motherhood,” their fears of “cool moms” and…the possible merits of ”lean in feminism.” Heavy emphasis on the possible.
In Slate Plus, how Danielle navigated covering abortion post-Roe while pregnant.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
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How a Man Writes Women Protagonists
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and Slate editor Dan Kois to talk about men writing women. Dan’s new book, Vintage Contemporaries, is the coming of age story of Em and the two women who had a meaningful impact on her life. Dan and Cheyna talk about how Dan wrote true to life female characters without falling into the #menwritewomen trap, why he told a story with female characters, and how to navigate the tricky world of writing characters of the opposite sex.
In Slate Plus, how the HarperCollins strike is impacting women.
You can find the HarperCollins Bookshop link here.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
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Exercise Shouldn’t (Always) Feel Punishing
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science and health editor Shannon Palus talks with freelance science writer Eleanor Cummins about how to detach exercise from diet culture, and learning to strive toward fitness goals that actually serve them. They discuss two recent pieces in Slate, Shannon’s article on the benefits of slow running and Eleanor’s on why yoga classes cost so much—an how the teachers, which are mostly women, can actually get paid more. They discuss why relaxing in a workout setting can be necessary and difficult, and how letting go of the idea that working out always has to be painful can actually help you accomplish big, impressive goals.
In Slate Plus, is Prince Harry feminist?
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by New York Times writer, Amy Larocca to discuss, as Amy says, the “menopause gold rush.” They dig into when exactly menopause starts, how younger women embracing their bodies has trickled up to their moms, and the companies that have started aggressively targeting menopausal women - for better and for worse.
In Slate Plus, how telehealth and online medicine have changed the menopause game.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
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The Myths About Fat People
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science and health editor Shannon Palus is joined by author and co-host of Maintenance Phase, Aubrey Gordon. Shannon and Aubrey discuss Aubrey’s new book, “You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, the fraught nature of “body positivity” and the insidious goalpost moving of the Dove “Love Your Body” campaign.
In Slate Plus, Aubrey and Shannon discuss the new weight-loss fad, Ozempic.
Further Reading Recommendations From Aubrey:
Hunger by Roxane Gay
Belly of the Beast by Da’shaun L. Harrison
The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings
Julie Murphy’s fiction novels like Dumplin’
Check out Shannon’s new Slate Column: Good Fit
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
2022 Rewind: How Gone Girl Changed Publishing
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel is joined by Slate books and culture columnist Laura Miller on the 10-year anniversary of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. They talk about the initial reaction to Gone Girl, why the twists packed such a punch, and the enduring impact of the famous “cool girl” speech. Then they explore why, despite many books proclaiming to be so, there has never really been another Gone Girl.
In Slate Plus, Laura takes Heather behind the scenes of book blurbs.
Recommendations:
Heather: The Palace Papers by Tina Brown
Laura: The TV series Redemption, available on BritBox
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customer Reviews
A new perspective every week!
A general feminism podcast, only the constant switching of hosts allows for a wider range of views and perspectives on different topics and provides some great fodder for conversation. I sometimes find myself disagreeing with one or more of the hosts but I like that it gets me to think about new things differently!
Great insights
Live the shoe, fresh insights snd perspectives,
Four Stars
I definitely enjoyed the original format of this show more. But I’m still in for now.